The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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62 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER I n 2011, both the men's and wom- en's swimming and diving teams at NC State finished eighth at the ACC Championships, sparking a change in direction for the programs. The Pack turned to an alum, five-time All- American and 2001 graduate Braden Hol- loway. In just four years, Holloway took that same men's team that finished eighth in the conference the year before he arrived to its first ACC title in 25 years and an eighth-place finish at this year's NCAA Championships. "When I first hear that and think of it, it makes me think hard work pays off — from a support staff group to our coaching staff to our student-athletes," Holloway said. "It shows that it can be done if you put your mind to it and you work hard for it and don't let up. It makes me proud." The women's program has also shined, recording its second straight top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1983 with a 17th-place showing this year. When Holloway arrived in Raleigh, one of his first tasks was to set out a five-year plan, one that he admittedly thought at the time was perhaps overly ambitious but yet necessary to show recruits. The goal was to win an ACC title in five years. It turned out that plan might not have been aggres- sive enough. "I think it's a testament to the culture we have created here in our program," Hollo- way said, "and a testament to the student- athletes buying in and making it their own as well." It has been a meteoric rise that impressed NC State's athletics director Debbie Yow. "The rise to national prominence of our swim program under Braden's lead- ership is nothing short of stunning," Yow commented. The Journey To A Title It may come as a surprise given the rapid ascension of the swimming and diving pro- grams under Holloway, but it was not a smooth road. Holloway's arrival brought about a significant culture change, and it led to a first year that Holloway summed up as "tough." "It was a hard year for me and the staff," he remembered. "We had a lot of chang- ing to do with a student-athlete group that wasn't used to any of it." Par for the course, several swimmers left the program during the transition. But Holloway was able to navigate the difficult A RAPID RISE Under Fourth-Year Head Coach Braden Holloway, NC State's Swimming Program Is Gaining National Prominence The Wolfpack men captured their league-high 25th ACC crown in school history this season, but their first in 25 years. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS